My quick take on all of that....the secret ballot is ridiculous. Transparency and disclosure is a better policy in everything not involving national security and comments about your wife's butt size.

The over signing rules will hurt SEC schools. If we're talking about an NCAA rule that's one thing. Talking about an SEC rule is ridiculous. Instead why don't we just tighten the criteria for dumping a kid that's not "good enough?" That would stop Houston Nutt and Nick Saban from abusing the current system. The rural South is still in the stone age academically, and Mike Slive can't fix that. So limiting the recruiting base voluntarily seems idiotic.

And as for Richt on Jax...that's what he should've said to begin with. You can't lose a game 6 out of 8 times and complain about things like the average temperature. It makes you look small, petty and weak. And by the way....I checked...last year it was 3 degrees COOLER in Jacksonville than it was in Athens at Kickoff, and we lost by 39 points.

Prioritize fixing what's broken. Not what annoys you. It's a great rule of thumb.

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Anonymous
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Glad to see Richt wised up. And you are correct, he should concentrate on fixing the problems within his direct control - not that he doesn't have say in the matter - but he's directly responsible for team performance, not venue selection.

Perhaps he should work for an off-week prior to the cocktail party. Strategy certainly worked for Spurrier. SH

I am not for the game being moved, but I find it bizzare that folks ask him a question and then because they cannot handle the answer they want to bash. From his perspective it ain't neutral. I isn't neutral except for the fans.

And he was not talking about the temperature at game time for one damn game. He was talking about prep for the game in a week when temps average more than 10F cooler in Athens than in Gainesville and NORMALLY Jax temps are closer to Gainesville temps than Athens. I agree he should not have brought it up, but if you are going to criticize at least get it right.

The week off is the biggest thing. Since 92 Florida has played the week prior in 04, 07 and last year. Georgia has had off once since 92 (07) until this coming year. I maintain that the week off is far more critical than the location.

Don't move the game but at least get the issues right. Florida has been the better team and better coached team in most of the past 20years and for the most part it wouldn't matter where we played.

Hobnail,How is disagreeing with your coach and offering just criticism interpreted as "bashing"?

Is Richt above criticism?

Are you serious?

Let's forget losing 16 of 19 and concentrate on losing 6 of 8. If Richt's excuses were more substantial then perhaps people might sinply disagree (as you advocate), but using the weather and travel as excuses makes him (and our entire program) appear weak and intimidated. When in fact we are not. All we're asking is for our team's leader to show the same backbone that has established him as one of the CFB's best road coaches.

Regardless of the excuses he uses, his record against Florida is just cause for criticism in and of itself. To complain about external factors that lack substance and are out of his control simply exacerbates the criticism which will surely come his way.

I find it bizarre and pathetic that our fans accept the excuse that weather plays a part in this rivalry. Imagine if our military used the same excuses in the mid-east where it's usually 120 fht. I'm not equating football to war - don't get me wrong - but there are parallels.

Look people - it's not the damn weather. These guys are all in terrific shape. It's a petty excuse. Period.

The difference is the off-week and rest our guys get from that. THAT is the only statistically proven variable that effects the outcome. That, and the fact that for most year Florida has had the better team and better coach.

Unfortunately for Richt, he's been an equal coach with better teams in some instances and still lost.

Why does he continually get a pass on his record against FL when his road record is terrific?

Is he trying to divert the blame?

I don't think so.

So simply prepare your team to win the game - come hell or high water.

Anon - I've done an analysis of weather during the games from '96 to '08. The average difference is 6.8 degrees in Athens vs. Jax.

During Richt's tenure, the difference is even less. When you remove the statistical outlier of Richt's tenure ('06 game which was 25 degrees warmer), the average in the other games was roughly 5 degrees.

Dude. The weather doesn't matter.

You can't complain when you're losing unless the location is the reason.

Where is he complaining? He was asked if Jax was neutral and he answered that question. He never said it was the reason why we lost. And what fans are using the weather as an excuse because I haven't heard any. I think it's crazy how much people are overanalyzing Richt's answer to that question. You can bet that's the last time he'll give his opinion on something.

When you're asked: "Is Jacksonville Neutral?" and then you follow it with non-sense like the temperature and the travel distance (we're not walking down there) AND say you want to move the game to the Dome.....

That's going to sound like you're making excuses, complaining, whining, bitching, whatever term you want to lots of folks.

The game is basically in South Georgia. It's a joke to even be having this discussion.

Paul, I see what you're saying about fixing what's broken....but what's broken? What do you see us doing differently to win? Because I don't see it being as simple as "just win." Florida is in the midst of the best years of their history as a football program. What specifically do you want to see done differently to affect the outcome of the game? I can see the bye-week argument, but what else?

I have lots of thoughts about what's broken. It's been a problem for me expressing them in a way that's not inflammatory because i feel very passionately about them.

I've been compiling data on them.

But the short answer is:1. improving tackling 2. improve kick coverage3. reduce the penalties4. improve player utilization 5. foster more of a meritocracy among coaching staff. and I don't think I'm going to write about this b/c my thoughts are too incendiary. 6. recruit more OTs and DTs

There's more but that's a starting point. I'm going to write about most of those pretty soon here. If I get off my a$$ and finish the articles.

When Richt made the temperature excuse and then that gator bowl comment, that just put me over the top. I am so sick of Richts whining about the game. Just shutup and just worry about finding a way for our players not to choke against the gators.

After reading Pauls words at 5:44, I have come to the conclusion that you think CMR is not a very good football coach. Or, is he just not a very good football coach for that game. Cause dude, the rest of his record is excellent.

I think your points on what's broken are all very valid but they seem like just general observations to improve our football program in general, not the way we play specifically against Florida...and I think there might be a difference there. When it comes to that game, I think the biggest factor here is the mentality of our players. Changing that might be the hardest part. Not sure how you do that but hopefully Mark Richt can figure that out.

10:12 I live in Athens and it isn't that great. The city is literally the fifth poorest city of it's size in the USA. How is that a great city? BTW, the schools are horrible. That is why Mark Richt and all the other coaches live in Oconee.